Scarlet Ties
by Uchiha Undead
Summary: Yumeko has always felt pain. Both emotional and physical pain, but her outer scars heal faster than her inner scars ever will. Yet when she finds a real friend for the first time, and her life is put at stake, will the danger want to hurt her, or heal her? MadaraxOC IzunaxOC Warning, this story doesn't follow the strict plot line of Naruto.
1. Massacred

**Prologue**  
_Massacred_

A young red head, about six, walked in the lush forest with careful and soft steps. She had never been inside the forest, due to her mother's constant rants about the evil that lurked within it. Though, today her mother was busy, and didn't tell her not to explore. She, being too young to think it through, she wandered off into the green that surrounded her small village. Her cheap attire of a brown cloth shirt and shorts fit her comfortably, and protected her from the nasty things that scrapped at her legs and arms.

Her jade blue eyes scanned over the forest in awe. Just being there gave her a thrill and hunger from more. Everything was so...unique. So...beautiful. She felt a little confusion at why her mother didn't want to her to see this. This wasn't evil. This was pure.

Knowing she had traveled farther in than expected she turned around and screamed. A raven haired boy stood there, staring at her with black curious orbs. "You shouldn't be out here," he stated bluntly, leaning on a tree, still staring at her.

She blinked, feeling pressured and glared at the boy. Her childish stubborn side questioned, "Who says?"

The boy raised an eyebrow at the small red head and smirked arrogantly. "I do, and if you talk back again, I'll make you sorry."

The red head visible gulped and gave him a wary look. "Please don't hurt me. I didn't mean to do anything wrong-"

"Whether you meant to or not, I don't care. It was reckless," he snapped. She whimpered a bit at his tone, and this made him realize something. His eyes softened as he tilted his head to the side, observing her with interest. "How old are you?"

"S-six," the young girl answered, uncertain if she should tell him or not. He hummed and walked over to her, grabbing a lock of her hair.

"You look older than that." He tugged harshly on her hair, making her yelp. "Are you lying to me?"

"N-no!"

The boy sighed, and let go of the red head's hair. "Children your age, six or not, shouldn't be out here. There has been the threat of enemies all around. So, where should I take you back-"

The slick, metallic sound of metal scrapping against itself rang in that boy's ear and he jumped back from the girl. He looked around frantically, scaring the girl. His calm person turned into a frightened and stunned as a deer's. He stood frozen and when he heard a woman's scream he glanced at the wide eyed girl who stood there frozen, to afraid to move. When she blinked back tears that welled in her eyes from the overwhelmed feelings, she found that the boy was gone.

She gasped, and a strong feeling of betrayal stabbed through her heart. She took off back to home, her fight of flight instincts kicking in. Before she could get to far though, she fell and hit her head. Things went blurry and dark before she passed out, dazed.

**XxX**

When she twitched her body, she felt cold and stiff. _How long have I been asleep?_ A grim demeanor hung low and thick like morning fog and she sniffed, forcing her arms to push herself off the dirty forest floor.

She stood, wobbling a little and looked around. She couldn't place a finger on it, but something was deadly wrong. She had a bad feeling tight in her stomach. It choked her slightly, making it hard to breath. With deep intake of breath, she stepped forward and trekked back to her village, taking her time. When she saw the outline of the brown roof-tops, she felt relief wash over her. She was home. She was safe.

As she neared more to her village the tight ball started to form again as dead silence filled her ear. No merry birds sang. No children stomped down the dirt paths that through the village. No mothers were heard scolding their children from running away. The redhead swallowed, and closed her eyes to calm herself as she walked out of the outlining forest into the village. When she opened them she screamed and jumped back.

Dead, dull eyes started up at her. She whimpered loudly and looked around. Blood covered everything casually like a nightmare that had come to life. Regular children sat up like dolls, horrified expressions on their faces. These were children she had seen day after day. She didn't know what to do. The crimson color soaked through their clothes, and dripped revoltingly from sliced throats and tummies. She couldn't help but scream again, the sights haunting her.

Fear knitted through her body, threading her veins, and taking control of her actions. She bolted for home, coming across worse and worse sights. They burned into her skull. She ran out past the village, and into the meadow that separated her house from the rest of town. She sprinted through the field; golden grass cutting her cheeks and slicing up her arms. She couldn't feel the cuts that she was getting, so the slight sting to her body didn't faze her.

She bolted up the stairs to her home and screamed when someone bumped into her, sending her falling back. She landed harshly on her rear with a grunt. A man turned and gave her an evil look. "Hello Princess." The red headed girl looked up slowly, almost afraid of what she would see, and blinked. She couldn't see the man's face. Her vision was blurry as her heart raced furiously. Her bottom lip trembled from the man's tone. She couldn't help but notice how familiar his masculine voice was. How soothing and bone racking it was. The contradiction of emotions made her feel light headed.

From her position on the ground her eyes darted to the inside of the house. Even with her sight still fuzzy and blurry, she could make out the sight of her mother, gagged and kneeling on the floor. She could tell she was crying, and finally, the red head let her tears fall was well.

"Mama!" the red head screamed, jumping up. She stumbled a little, and steadied herself before trying to get through the man. But the man swiftly grabbed the redhead by the neck as she tried to do so.

"Where do you think you're going, little one?" the man asked. "Do you want to see your Mama?" he mocked. The red head screamed and felt fresh tears wash over the old ones.

"Let me go!" she screamed desperately. Her mother growled, glaring at the man. The man chuckled and moved to her Mama. He crouched down next to her, his hand still on the redhead's neck.

When close enough he whispered, "Have something to say, sweetie?" He pulled the gag down and corked an eyebrow when Mama spit on him. He scoffed as if in disbelief, wiping the saliva from his cheek. But all too suddenly, he backhanded the girl's mother before returning to his full height. "Damn woman."

"Don't call me 'sweetie', asshole!" Mama yelled, catching the redhead off guard. Her Mama had never used such bad words in from of her before.

"Now now, Asume, _your_ child's here. Watch _your_ language," the man taunted. Asume growled, something about the statement bothering her more deeply than it probably should..

Asume glanced at her redheaded daughter. Her eyes filled with sudden tears of regret. "Don't hurt my baby," Asume begged, her voice strained. "Please, you've done enough. Not her too."

"Hurt her?" the man questioned her like she was crazy. "I could never hurt such a beautiful child." The man's questioning face darkened with a smirk. "I'm just going to make her suffer." The little redhead whimpered and tried to break out of the older man's grip.

_Why is he so familiar? Why can't I place a face?!_ the girl questioned mentally, panicking. Her Mama was going to get hurt, and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Mama!" the redhead screamed, trying to hit the man. But the older man chuckled slightly, and kneed the little girl in the gut, making her scream and cower away from him. She didn't try to do anything more. She didn't want to be hurt. Asume and the red headed girl both knew this was too much at once.

Asume looked at her daughter with sad, big eyes. _My poor, poor baby._ Tears continued to spill from her eyes. She didn't want to look as the man slide a kunai from his back pocket.

She knew what was going to happen next. Either her or her daughter would die. More tears sprang down Asume's cheeks. She had only wanted better for her kids than she had, but so far it had only been worse. She felt ready to beg for her daughter's life. To stop being strong and finally give into her weakness. To finally give in and cry without holding back. To let those emotions flow from her freely without regret.

A large shadow loomed over her, bring dark thoughts about the loss of time. A deep chuckled was heard before she was struck with pain in her stomach. A blast of wind from the quick movement hit her afterward and she screamed in shock, and pain.

She trembled, and coward on the floor, trying to ball up. A kunai was stabbed deep into her gut, and shot lightning bolts of pain throughout her body. Her nerves screamed at her. She simply wept, giving up. Blood slowly and gracefully soaked through her clothes, and she could felt her heart slowing. The pain easing. She stared at her daughter, letting tears make the skin around her eyes raw. With her final breath she thought the one thing she couldn't say out loud, _This is your real father. I'm sorry I couldn't fully protect you, Yumeko._


	2. Ready For Anything?

**Chapter One: **_Ready For Anything?_

The redheaded girl looked around, shaking her head slightly. Forest surrounded her house casually, leaving enough space for her to walk around it with ease. The forest surrounding her was calm and buzzing with the same, familiar noises. The sun's rays covered everything, spreading warmth and giving her a calm and relaxed feeling. The green grass under her feet was cool from the morning dew that was slowly evaporating and she was the only one up. The house was eerily quiet, but Yumeko didn't pay attention to it.

After she had gone around the house a couple of times a voice stopped her. "Yumeko-chan, you need to get inside." Yumeko turned to look at her friend and smiled.

"All right, Miyuki-san."

Miyuki nodded before disappearing back inside. When she was gone, Yumeko stopped smiling and looked around again. She didn't want to leave the forest, but something irked her about going into it alone.

Something caught her eye, and she stared into the forest, and didn't notice Miyuki walk back out until said girl slapped Yumeko on the back of the head.

"Hurry up. It's urgent. What are you even looking at?" Miyuki grumbled. Yumeko glanced back at her friend and then shrugged, walking towards the house.

"I don't know, something caught my eye," the redhead mumbled.

Miyuki snickered and followed closely behind Yumeko pestering her. "You know, if you weren't so paranoid, the animals might want to come around," Miyuki mocked.

Yumeko shrugged again and climbed up the stairs onto the porch where she stopped and turned back to her friend. "If being paranoid is such a bad thing, I'd like to know why. At least it keeps me on my toes," Yumeko challenged. She narrowed her eyes and cocked an eyebrow.

Miyuki shook her head. "It will keep you alive, but you think _too_ much. You're too scripted at times." Miyuki sighed and shook her head again. "It just gives me a headache. Act like a woman, or a human. Not a statue."

Yumeko blinked, confused. "I'm not a statue, I'm human. What are you talking about?"

Miyuki shook her head and slapped the back of Yumeko's head again, then grabbed her shoulder and shook her roughly, catching the younger girl off guard. Miyuki's actions made her jump and step away from her. "No! Get back here. I'll loosen you up!" Miyuki demanded.

Yumeko slapped her frieend's hand away, and shook her head. "Stop it, Miyuki-san."

"Just call me Miyuki, Yumeko-chan," the older girl insisted. "You've known me long enough."

Yumeko smiled, a light, blissful feeling flood her gut. "If you say so. You can call me just Yumeko if you would like. The chan after it _is_ a little...annoying."

"See, you're not so scripted anymore," Miyuki teased, hitting her arm. Yumeko frowned, giving her a blank stare and she slumped slightly. "Dammit."

"Watch your mouth." With that, the redhead went inside.

Miyuki followed behind her, glaring at the girl's back. Miyuki took the lead once they got past the living room. "She wants us to be prepared for a mission. Our first one without our superiors," Miyuki explained. "She wanted to give us more details once we got there. Aren't you excited?"

Yumeko blinked, confused as to why she would send Miyuki and herself together on a mission. Samara-sama was very smart and intelligent, but Miyuki and Yumeko were very different when it came to tact and skill. The mere thought of having them both on the same mission together worried Yumeko, but she was excited to have a friend to be there for her. Have someone she somewhat trusted have her back. It was relieving and refreshing.

She stopped behind Miyuki when said girl paused in front of Samara-sama's door.

"Samara-sama?" Miyuki called, while knocking twice.

"Enter honeys," Samara's sweet voice replied. Yumeko's lips streached into a sweet and genuine smile at the tone of her voice. Samara-same was obviously in a good mood. Miyuki slide open the door and walked in, leaving Yumeko to follow.

When both girls were in the room, they lined up and bowed in sync saying, "Good morning, Samara-sama."

Samara chuckled and shook her head at the girls she had raised. "Girls, stop being so formal. It's too early to be serious," Samara ordered in a friendly way. "For crying out loud, I've raised you girls. I'm like your mother."

Both girls giggled, pleased with Samara's open and motherly attitude. She was obviously having a good day so far.

"Ah," Samara breathed, sitting back in her plush chair. "Today I'm assigning you your first mission." She interrupted herself by chuckling slightly. "You both grow up so fast. I wish you didn't have to go, but I need you both. You're both pretty, and willed. That's basically all that's required. But, you also trust one another. That was also required. Also, you're fiends, so this could be _fun_, if you want it to be."

Both girls' hearts sank slowly at her words. Missions weren't fun. "Samara-sama," Yumeko said cautiously. Samara looked at her with steady eyes. "What kind of mission is this?"

Samara shrugged slightly. "If you want the details, I'll give them to you after you get ready. You'll need your regular equipment."

Miyuki tapped Yumeko's shoulder and breathed, "Come on, lets go." Reluctantly, Yumeko nodded and followed Miyuki out of the room to get ready.

Once they had made it to their hallway, Yumeko hit Miyuki on the shoulder a little harder than necessary.

"What?"

"Why the hell did you just dismiss us like that?!" Yumeko growled. "She's going to make us do something we _don't_ want to do, and you _know_ it."

"She already did," Miyuki hissed. "Her mind is made, there is no changing that. Don't get all mad at me. That's not fair. She is the _Leader_. You should privileged for being summoned into her presence!"

"I don't have to be fair," the redhead a snapped back, but she quickly recoiled. Her eyes downcasted staring at the ground intently. Yumeko was sulking shamelessly. "I just have a really bad feeling about this mission. How could you not?"

"I trust people, unlike you." Miyuki's words stung a bit, making Yumeko cringe slightly.

"I trust you don't I?"

"Barely," Miyuki retorted.

Yumeko frowned deeply at Miyuki. "Oh, shut up. I trust you plenty," she retorted.

"You say that, but if I was given a chance to save you, or myself, who do you think I would save?" Miyuki hissed. Yumeko rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You know you would save yourself. You're-"

Yumeko groaned, clutching the stinging side of her face. Miyuki growled lowly, staring at the redhead with livid eyes that, if said girl was looking at them, would make her a little scared.

"I would to save _you_, Yumeko," Miyuki hissed. "In a situation like that, _you're_ more important. I can already tell you're stronger than me. How _dare_ you. Just think about it. I'm three years older than you and I've been here longer, yet you're already almost surpassing me."

Yumeko was taken back a bit. "So what? Miyuki, it's not all that fair to me to be mad at me for that. I look up to _you_. And in _no_ way am I surpassing _you_." Yumeko glared stubbornly at Miyuki, scowling a bit. "Don't you dare downgrade yourself."

"Same goes for you," Miyuki growled, pushing Yumeko against the wall. "Take some credit for your talent, pest."

"I could say the same for you, stupid!" Yumeko hissed, headbutting the girl in front of her. "It's disgusting to see you downgrade yourself."

"Oh shut up you hypocrite. I don't want to hear it. All you ever do is complain and whine or tell me something seems wrong. You know what's wrong? Is that ever since you got here, you don't trust anyone. You think you know everything, but you don't. Stop pretending to be perfect, and _acting selfless!_ Get used to being human."

Yumeko didn't say anything, though a huge weight dropped on her heart. Her face was blank, but her eye twitches showed a massive amount of sadness. She had never told Miyuki why she was here. Just that Samara found her. Not that Samara had found her cloaked in her mother's own blood. Her body shook slightly. Those images and memories of that night were still fresh and hurting her. But why tell Miyuki when she _couldn't_ fully trust her? It just would be too hard. She didn't see the point. Plus, she couldn't find it in herself to even speak about it.

Miyuki glared harshly at Yumeko, before her eyes softened when she realized that she was shaking and she embraced the younger girl. "Hey, I'm sorry. That was a little much." Miyuki shifted uncomfortably, and looked to the floor. She squeezed Yumeko tightly for a moment before letting Yumeko go, and walking away without looking at the redhead. "We should be getting ready. I'll be in my room."

Yumeko nodded and took in a shaky breath. When her friend disappeared down the hall, Yumeko wiped the tears that had fallen off her cheeks, and cleared her throat. The suffocating lump in her throat didn't go down, and she easily gave up on it. She took a couple of deep breaths, collecting herself before going to her own room.

She wasn't noticed in the halls as other girls awoke and went to the dining room for breakfast. She didn't want to eat. Instead she got out a small bag and packed three solid color kimonos. Two were dark blue with golden obies while the last one was white with a red obi. Those were the only colors she really enjoyed, and the sight of them made her feel better. With a sigh she went to her closet and grabbed her clothes she used for missions. They were simple and weren't anything special. Just something she liked wearing for comfort and were easy to move in.

There was a sleek black qipao top with sleek black pants that pressed firmly to her in a comfortable fashion. Not too tight, not too loose. Her regularly bare feet would be covered with simple ninja style shoes. Her pack would sit comfortably on her waist, holding her lighter weapons, scrolls, and snacks. Then it would be completed with her slipping on a mask to hide some of her face, and to keep her emotions somewhat hidden, but it wasn't like she needed help with that. The security she felt with it on was more important.

She sighed, looking down at her outfit. She didn't have the motivation to put it on, but the sudden flash of her mother lying dead, there on the floor in front of her, that same crimson liquid oozing from her, her blue eyes glazed over, and lifeless made the young redhead whimper, and almost fall to her knees. Yumeko sniffled a gasp, and shuddered, trying to clear her mind of such thoughts.

Though, she was her only motivation, and had no one to avenge, considering she was so young when her mother died. She couldn't remember who slaughtered her mother. She thought she would have known by now, but every time she tried to think back to it, it gave her a gruesome headache.

Yumeko shook her head and groaned in frustration. She couldn't push away the emotions that she felt when it came to her mother's death. She remembered how young and stupid she was that day. The last thing she did was disobey her mother, and look what happened. A wave of sudden relief washed through her. The reason she was alive was because she was reckless and stupid. She let out another groan and slapped herself in the head.

"That's not right!" she growled. "I should feel stupid and evil and guilty!" She felt the urge to cry more but mentally stomped the tears back down angrily. Crying wouldn't make any of it better, or the pain go down. She already knew that. She had tried so many times, and it has only failed.

With a shake of her head she forced herself to get back to what she was doing. Packing. She went to the closet again and grabbed her sais off the top shelf. They were her favorite little babies. She walked to the cot and set them next to her pack. She then dropped to the floor and peered under her bed for her second weapon. She liked to hide them in case someone came in her room. She pulled out her kusari-gama, and smiled fondly at it. Then she set it next to her sais.

She was getting all of her babies out, even if she didn't need them. Her weapons brought her a sense of comfort. Something to hold. And, protection. Which is the only thing she desired ever since the day her mother died.

She went back to her closet to pull out her least favorite weapon. Her plain katana. Of course it was handy, but it wasn't as unique and pleasing to use as her sais or kusari-gama. She slipped out of her kimono she wore loosely, like a robe, and was left in her underwear. She sighed and looked around at her clothes. She tugged on her top and slid on her pants. She grabbed the strap to her katana's holder and strapped it around her waist. She then grabbed her pack, connected it to her sowrd's strap, and slid her sais and kusari-gama inside. Her kusari-gama's blade stuck out the side. She grabbed her mask off her cot. She gazed at it for a moment before hesitantly placing it in her pack, instead of putting it on. With that, she was packed and ready. She just had to get Miyuki, and then the missions details, and they were off.

A bitter feeling of excitement coiled around her stomach, and she winced. She was still a little nervous about Samara-sama's mission. Something seemed...oh what was the word...off.


	3. And So It Begins

**Chapter Two: **_And So It Begins_

Miyuki and Yumeko knocked on Samara's door and entered the room softly. Upon seeing them, Samara smiled. "Aw, you both look so cute in your uniforms," she cooed.

Miyuki smiled, while Yumeko's face didn't change. Their uniforms were their mission outfits. Though they had the same color scheme, Miyuki's was very different from Yumeko's. So instead of her regular traditional kimono, she had a dark blue kimono top with black outlining the thin fabric. Miyuki's obi was tied tightly right under her breast, pushing them up, but because of the bandages wrapped around her cleavage to keep it firm to her person, she didn't flash anyone. Her legs were covered with black tights that disappeared into her ninja shoes that matched Yumeko's. Miyuki had pulled her hair into a ponytail, leaving a few stay bangs to shield her forehead. All in all, her outfit was provocative, comfortable and deemed perfect for a kunoichi of her rank.

"Now, Yumeko, Miyuki, I need you both to understand something," Samara started slowly. "I have had a request from the Senju. You are to help them gain information."

Yumeko's eyes widened as Miyuki grunted with disgust. "Help with _what_?" Miyuki asked.

Samara's eyes narrowed slightly, and she rose her head slightly, even though her stomach churned with uncertainty. "The Senju and the Uchiha have both been rivals for a long time, you know this. But that's not really all that important - well now it is...But I'll get to that." Samara took a deep breath in and looked at her beautiful girls. "Girls, you are going on your first joint mission."

Miyuki hummed softly before voicing, "_With_ the Senju?" She couldn't help the distaste and disgust that seeped into her words. Yumeko glanced at her friend, wondering why she despised the Senju so much.

Samara nodded, a bitter smile tugging to her lips as she did so. "Yes. You will gain information on the Uchiha. We are in no alliance with either, but if one side requests our help, then we shall answer this call. It is the duty of the Acedemy."

Yumeko's jaw clenched. The thought of teaming up with other clans to do such a thing made her stomach tighten. She had no desire to go against Samara, but the thing she was requesting was insane. She wanted to protest, but could see that Samara herself wasn't 100% sure about teaming up with other clans. Mostly with one as powerful as the Senju. Especially when it's a spy mission for the Uchiha.

This worried as well as comforted the young redhead. She knew she had no right to decline the mission, but this mission wasn't one she felt comfortable preforming. Not like that mattered now. She was already dressed and ready to leave, so she was going. Period.

With a silent sigh, Yumeko tuned back into Samara's briefing. "-so, I wish you both well on this mission. I hope the Senju treat you well. If not, just remember you represent me, and the other girls in this Acedemy. I hope you take your time, and keep in mind that these people are your _allies_. They will not harm you, but if they attack you - and you know what I mean by attack - you fight back. I will not have you both disgracing me, and what I stand for. Do you understand?"

Samara's eyes stung with held back tears. She was so proud to be giving Miyuki and Yumeko this mission. This mission was to be for more advanced, and higher ranked ninja, but Samara wanted only the most loyal and determined girls to represent her. Not to mention, they weren't only friends, they were her best students and that made the decision all that more right.

With a sigh, Samara said, "You're dismissed."

Yumeko and Miyuki nodded curtly. They then marched away, down the halls. Both girls glanced at each other. Their eyes meet, and they concluded one thing.

The Senju were not to be trusted, no matter what.

**XxX**

"We are supposed to meet right here," Miyuki insisted to Yumeko. "Look." She pointed to a spot on the map and then hissed, "We're here. They're _late_." Even though Miyuki was almost always somewhat calm, Yumeko understood that Miyuki couldn't stand it when people were late. Her patience level just wouldn't allow it.

"We are not late," a woman insisted, stepping from behind a tree. The first thing both girls noticed was how beautiful she was. She had her black hair pulled up into a firm bun and brilliant blue eyes that glowed. "We just wanted to make sure it was you guys." A couple more women stepped from behind the tree.

Just by glancing at them, Yumeko could see the diversity in the group. One was a blond with mossy green eyes,, looking restless with her unending bouncing and fiddle of fingers. Her hair was put into a ponytail that stopped at her mid back in a point.

The next woman had dark brown hair in a braid that fell to her waist and cold, red eyes. Just from the look of her Yumeko could tell the girl was nothing but a negative mess.

The woman who had spoke smiled slightly and stuck out her hand. "Hello, I'm Kira," she greeted.

Yumeko stared at Kira's hand, but chose to ignore it, and looked up to meet Kira's eyes. "Nice to meet you, I'm Yumeko, and this is Miyuki," she introduced, sweeping a hand to show off her friend. Miyuki bowed, trying to look a little respectful, and not look so disgusted with the Senju in front of her.

Strangely, Yumeko and Miyuki took note that none of the women seemed bothered that children were here to do such an elite mission. Did the Senju overestimate the power Yumeko and Miyuki had?

"I'm Naroki," the blond piped, bouncing in front of Kira. "That moody pants over there is Ela." At the sound of her name, Ela scowled.

"I can introduce myself," Ela spat, crossing her arms, and fuming silently. "You already know my name, so there's no point now."

Yumeko's lips twitched up slightly at the introductions. All of them were very different, despite being on the same team. She couldn't help but be amused by that.

_I wonder why that is,_ she thought. _It must be their jutsu that groups them together._

"Well, there's no point in standing around all day, I say we get back to headquarters and get everything settled," Kira said, turning and shooting into the trees. Ela followed her almost instantly and Naroki stayed back for a moment.

"We have to hurry, I heard we are on a schedule," Naroki informed. Then the blond followed her teammates, leaving Yumeko, and Miyuki. Both girls looked at each other and then sighed.

"This will be interesting," Yumeko voiced duly.

Miyuki nodded in agreement. "No point it trying to hide our curiosity. Let's just get this over with."

And with that, they girls shot into the trees, quickly catching up to their new team.


	4. Mission Madness

**Chapter Three:**_ Mission Madness_

The females traveled in a circle, shifting through the semi crowded streets of the Senju headquarters.

"We're almost there. I hope you guys remember your manners," Ela said, shooting Miyuki and Yumeko a dirty look. Yumeko remained indifferent to the gesture while Miyuki fumed, her distaste for Senju rising.

"It seems that you have forgotten yours, Ela," a new voice chided. Ela's face drained of color, and she quickly pivoted on her foot, and bowed to the boy next to her.

Yumeko and Miyuki's heads snapped towards the boy with short, cropped brown hair. As cute as he looked, there was a spirit in the way he held himself that made Yumeko and Miyuki cynical.

"Yes sir, sorry Hashirama-sama," Ela whispered, her eyes wide, and her palms sweaty.

The boy smiled, as if pleased, and looked over the group. "I'll be taking the new guests to their rooms. If you don't mind, ladies," the boy said. Even though his voice was kind, caution lingered in Yumeko. Miyuki already didn't like him, and glared at the ground.

The escorts nodded, and bowed saying, "As you wish, sir."

Hashirama turned to now the only girls in front of him and smiled. When he stood there for a moment, Yumeko bowed. "Hello si-"

"Hashirama, call me Hashirama," the boy interrupted. Yumeko nodded, and looked around as two young boys joined his side, fuming.

"Hashirama-Nii," the boy's whined. "He took my kunai!" they screamed in unison, pointing angry fingers at each other. Yumeko, and Miyuki flinched, startled by their outbursts.

Hashirama chuckled and looked between his guests and his brothers. "Um, brothers, have you met our guests? They are here to help us with defeating our enemies. Introduce yourselves, and don't be rude."

Both boy's angry faces dropped and they looked at Yumeko and Miyuki. Their lips widened as they both let out awkward laughs, and then slid into a bow. "It's nice to meet you," the greeted in unison. Yumeko and Miyuki nodded.

"I'm Itama," the smaller one introduced, smiling. He had split color hair, his left side having black hair and his right side having black.

"And I'm Kawarama Senju, the best, and finest brother," the other one introduced, flashing a bright, white smile to the girls. Yumeko and Miyuki gave simple bows of the head.

At the bored reactions, both boys looked at each other and scowled. "Don't copy me," they growled. Both boys narrowed their eyes, and then turned away from each other with huffs.

Yumeko couldn't help it. Her lips twitched with amusement at their little show. "You're both so cute." Yumeko's lips twitched more, as she tried not to smile, while Hashirama frowned, embarrassed.

Hashirma hit both boys in the back of their heads and hissed, "Behave."

Both boys pouted. "But—"

"But nothing," he snapped. "Now, aren't you both supposed to be in practice with Master Nishiko?" Hashirama's eyes glowed with amusement as both boys gasped and disappeared with a flick of their hands.

Miyuki and Yumeko filched at the boy's sudden disappearance, and their eyes darted to Hashirama for answers. The boy smiled and said, "They learn really fast." He turned, gesturing the girls to follow him, and said. "I'll show you to your rooms, and then tomorrow, you'll be given your mission."

"Yes sir," Yumeko replied, looking at Miyuki. She had been strangely stoic. Yumeko's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she ignored it.

**The Next Day**

"Hiya!" Naroki greeted Yumeko and Miyuki, bouncing on her heels. A bright smile adorned her face, making her look childish.

Yumeko greeted, "Hello." When Miyuki said nothing, she elbowed her friend in the side. Ela glared at her, displeased with her manners, and Kira smiled, amused.

"I have nothing to say to you," Miyuki whispered, looking away.

Yumeko's heart dropped at her friend's unkind behavior. She longed to figure out why she was in such a bad mood. Yumeko's eyes narrowed in thought.

The happy mood around the group faded, and Naroki stopped bouncing, looking up at the sky to busy herself.

Afer a long, uncomfortable silence, Yumeko broke the ice. "So," she started, "we should get this mission over with. I am pretty sure our superiors are expecting us back at a certain time." She stared expectantly at her group, and Kira stepped forward.

"Indeed they are. I agree. Let's go," she said, walking off. Her girls, Ela and Naroki, also trailed after her, skipping to keep up with Kira's pace.

**XxX**

An hour later, the girls stopped in the forest, Kira saying something about Uchiha chakara near the area. They all got ready for the mission.

"You're going to be Ume," Naroki told Yumeko. She looked to Miyuki. "You'll be…Kara."

Miyuki let out an irritated sigh. "Who are you fooling? No one will believe that, Naroki-san. I have a better suggestion."

Yumeko sighed at her friend's blunt insult, fed up with her _shit_ and snapped, "Miyuki just spare everyone's feelings, and say it. I'm not in the mood for your bitchy attitude."

"Well, you aren't the center of the universe," Miyuki snapped back.

"That makes two of us," Yumeko mused, not able to keep the hard edge in her voice.

"Um, girls we need to hurry, our time is running out," Kira said. "Sorry to interrupt. Miyuki-san, if you have something to say, please say it."

"I'll be a guard only, and Yumeko will be Mana," Miyuki retorted. "I've been thinking about it ever since yesterday."

Kira nodded and smiled, but some doubt laced with her smile. "Perfect, as long as you remember that, you're good. Are you both familiar with how this goes? Do you need us to explain exactly what you're doing?" There was a glint of amusement in her eyes as she finished that both Yumeko and Miyuki noticed.

Yumeko frowned, displeased with being talked down, and shook her head. "We're good. We have experience with this kind of thing," she said. Even though she was annoyed by Kira's insult.

Miyuki stayed silent, not wanting to risk opening her mouth and saying something she'd regret.

With a few more words of confirmation, Miyuki and Yumeko made a couple hand signs and disappeared in flurry of cherry blossoms.

At Yumeko and Miyuki's strange departure, the girls looked from side to side, looking for each other's opinions. After a few moments of silence, they all headed to their posts to wait to be summoned.

**XxX**

"So, you go in, and I'll watch," Miyuki ordered. She wasn't in her ninja uniform; instead she was in excellent body camouflage. With a few simple hand signs, she had completely turned into her surroundings. It was her clan's specialty to naturally blend in with their surroundings, along with the simple ability of hiding chakara.

Yumeko, on the other hand, was dressed in a much more civilian way, wearing a dark blue kimono with a black, dragon cycling around the chest and down to the waist. Her hair was pulled back into a long scarlet braid that fell simply to her lower back. But to play the part, Yumeko had torn the kimono up, and sliced some scratches onto her arms, and legs, making sure to put one on her cheek, enough to make it scar, but not be too big of a deal. Her hair, despite being tightly done behind her was in awful condition, her own blood caking it, with dirt and leaves stuck inside, entwined with her red locks.

Yumeko nodded, and put on a slightly pouty face, trying to get into character.

_Mommy, mommy, mommy…_ she thought, trying to tear up to play the part. It worked, tears pooled in her eyes as she slowly moved forward.

Her bottom lip quivered, and a tear broke free, streaming down her small face. More followed, and she was silently crying. She almost didn't want to walk anymore. Her mind set now on her mother more than the mission, she didn't realize that she had stopped walking.

Her hands came up to try to slow down the tears, and she sniffed, letting out a shaky breath that turned into a sob. As soon as that escaped her throat, more came barreling out, furiously shaking her body.

_Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!_ she mentally screamed. She fell into a tree next to her and hit her head softly on it. _I could have done something, I could have… I was such a weak child. I was – am useless._

From a distance, she looked exactly what she wanted to: a helpless, crying child. Miyuki was a little disturbed at how well she was playing the part, and a disturbing thought arose.

What if she _wasn't_ acting?

Even so, Miyuki stayed back and clear from Yumeko. She was confident in her friend's skills. She always had an idea of what she was doing, and for that reason, Miyuki knew not to worry about the young redhead.

Sooner than expected, Yumeko's sobbing had caught the attention of someone.

"Naomi," the male voice growled, "if that's you, I will kill you." Yumeko's breath caught, and she paused, startled, and then sobbed louder. There was a sigh, and then the voice said, "Shit."

Yumeko's guard was dropped, but she could feel Miyuki's stare on her back, that stare giving her confidence that stomped out any fear ar her vulnerability.

A man, in a blink of an eye, was a foot in front of Yumeko, crouched to her level. His obvious Uchiha features made Yumeko's heart stiffen. She had never been fond of the clan, or its people. The man had long, pointed, black hair that fell just past his ears, and obsidian eyes that displayed strong discomfort at the current situation.

"Hey little girl. Shush, it's okay. Raiden has got ya," he whispered. Yumeko's hair on the back of her neck rose. Something about his tone made her calm down a little bit, which confused and worried her. She looked up at him willing an innocent look with big, wide blue eyes. Raiden flinched, hating the look that could easily overpower him. He looked away for a moment, and then gave a small smile. He patted Yumeko on her head, trying his best to calm the sobbing child.

Yumeko sniffed, shrinking from Raiden's touch. "W-where's mommy?" Yumeko whispered, staring at the man with sad, tear stained eyes. "Ha-have… h-have you seen her?"

Raiden's eyes narrowed, looking over the child. She was cut up, bleeding, but the pain didn't seem to bother her. Almost instantly, Raiden's eyes widened. "Uh, no, kid. Where did you last see her?" His voice was quick with urgency. His eyes lit in an non-Uchiha-like way at the sound of danger.

Yumeko thought, bewildered, _Does he want to help?_

Miyuki from the branches overtop quickly grew impatient with the interaction, and with a few twists of her wrist, called back Kira, Ela, and Naroki. Instantly, the trio dropped onto the tree branches, and launched themselves at the Uchiha.

Raiden saw a glint to the corner of his eye, one who he was familiar with. His eyes widened, and he scooped Yumeko into his arms and jumped above the assault of kunai that impaled where he just was seconds ago.

_I have to pretend to be defenseless, or he'll kill me_, Yumeko thought, her eyes widening. Continuing to act her part, she dug her face into Raiden's chest, and squeezed her eyes shut. For some reason, her hurt ached slightly for the man who was holding her. But then she remembered that he was the enemy, and the feeling slowly drained away.

Miyuki watched carefully as Kira, Ela and Naroki attacked the Uchiha. Yumeko was right; they were teamed together by the use of their jutsu. They worked as if they were one, moving with precise timing, and fluid attacks. Miyuki was breathless at the beautiful fight.

Raiden twisted his body, kicking from trees to defend himself and this child in his arms. _Just a child,_ he thought. _Makes me sick that they do this to a mere kid._

He turned his back to his opponent, keeping the girl away from the continuous rounds of kunai. Some hit his back, scraping through the fabric of his clothes. He shot off a branch, squeezing the child to his chest to keep her securely to his person. Raiden, seeing an opening, kicked off the back of a tree, and slammed both of his feet into the blonde's face, a nasty snap sounded. The blow sent her tumbling backwards, into a tree where she laid limp, dead.

"Big mistake," a voice hissed in his ear. He dropped Yumeko just as Ela's hand stabbed through his right shoulder. Raiden howled in pain, and in a second, Kira was in front of him, pounding his face in. Kira's hand gripped Yumeko's upper arm, and she threw her to Naroki's side. Yumeko was stunned by the events that had just flashed before her eyes, and she crashed into the space next to Naroki's broken body. Naroki's neck bones were snapped, and bubbling out of the skin. Naroki's eyes were wide, dull and frightening to stare into. Yumeko trembled.

"You killed her, you son of a bitch!" Ela screamed, slamming Raiden's head in the face with her fist. "Ah!" she screamed, tears bursting down her face. Ela reeled back again, but Kira ripped her off of Raiden before she could damage him too badly.

"We…" Kira's voice broke as she glanced at her Narokis lifeless body. "We need him… You can't… You can't kill him. Not _yet_."

Yumeko's heart sunk at the way Kira said yet. Almost as if his fate was sealed in the shape of a toy, one they would play with until they were satisfied.

Miyuki came out from hiding, and looked at Naroki's dead body, her face a void of emotion.

_If she would have just…not been so dependent, then she wouldn't have died._ Miyuki shook her head slowly and dragged her eyes away.

Again, she didn't speak, not wanting to risk the consequences of saying something wrong.

* * *

**A/N:** _So good or bad? That's the question. I'm getting all that much feed back. I'm aware that his story is good, but good as in what? Good as in decent, or good as in you like it a lot._

_Who's you favorite character so far?_

_Do you like the story so far?_

_How was the chapter, in your opinion?_

_Also, how did you like the change in point of views in third person. I'm experimenting with thrid person because I'm not a HUGE fan of it, but I want to learn that skill. I would love to strict criticism._

-Uchiha Undead


	5. This Wasn't A Part of the Deal!

**Chapter Four: **_This Wasn't A Part of the Deal!_

Miyuki and Yumeko walked back at their own pace, wanting time away from Kira and Ela. Yumeko sighed, comfortable in Miyuki's company.

"Naroki could have blocked him," Miyuki whispered, almost nervous to say something. Yumeko's eyebrows rose at her friend's sudden statement. "I was watching, she could…she had time to…"

Yumeko's eyes hardened and she dipped her head. She had felt Naroki's life strings tremble, but they only snapped when she hesitated. "I don't think you should enlighten our group of that. I don't think they are ready for that kind of information, or want the truth to be heard just yet."

Miyuki stayed silent, and then, "So, what were you and the guy talking about?"

Yumeko's heart clenched painfully tight at the blunt question. Either way, she felt obligated to answer her friend. "He asked about my mother. I told him I wanted my mommy." Miyuki's eyes flickered to her friend in search for any sign of weakness. Her mother - well past for that matter - had always been a rough topic for the redhead.

Even though Miyuki could tell Yumeko wanted her to drop the topic, she persevered. "What about your mother? You really scared the shit out of him by the looks of it." Miyuki smiled. "You're getting better at this."

"You're not getting better at shutting up," Yumeko growled. _I don't want to talk about it_, Yumeko thought.

Miyuki sighed, and rolled her eyes. "If you're not going to talk, that means I have to, sweetie. Pick a side."

"I want the one with silence," Yumeko retorted.

"Oh, so you choose death," Miyuki teased, raising her eyebrows at her friend.

Amusement flowed like a tidal wave through the small redhead. Yumeko let out a laugh, and then snorted. The sound startled her, and Yumeko's eyes widened, and she slapped both of her hands to her mouth. Her face burned.

Miyuki giggled at the redhead's reaction, and punched her lightly in the arm. "Don't worry about it. Under all of that stone, you have a heart, soul—emotions even. Yes, Yumeko they exist, and they're with you alw-"

Yumeko gritted her teeth, irritated, and snapped, "Shut up."

"Anything for you _Princess_," Miyuki joked. Yumeko almost winced at the word Princess, but held her reserve. Her heart squeezed, and Yumeko narrowed her eyes. _Mom…_

Hours later, Yumeko and Miyuki stood next to each other behind a one way window, staring at Raiden. Under the instruction of Kira, Yumeko had stayed in her dirty outfit, and been ordered to observe how the Senju questioned their victims. Yumeko, despite her discomfort, complied, and requested that Miyuki stay with her. Fortunately the brunette was allowed to stay, and observe as well.

As Yumeko stared at Raiden, her guts clenched. He sat unnervingly still, almost as if he was ready for anything, and the way his head titled slightly her way, as if he could feel her presence bothered her to no end. Unease settled over her easily, making Yumeko shift on her feet. There was something errie about seeing the man bond to a chair with a blindfold on. Still, her face was blank, passive.

Miyuki, sensing her discomfort, had taken Yumeko's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Unlike Miyuki, this was Yumeko's first time at seeing an interrogation. A Senju interrogation, that is.

Miyuki could already see how it was to go about. The setup and positions of the Senju warriors along the wall told her all she needed to know. In a few minutes, two men were going to enter the room, ask questions, beat the Uchiha, and ask more questions. Torture him until he spoke. Looking closer at the weapons each warrior possessed, Miyuki took a guess, and thought they were there just in case the victim got out. And counting the men, there must have been high suspicion that this man could easily slip from here without tons of guards. That or they're just extremely paranoid. Miyuki decided to go with both of those answers, liking the logic that followed both.

In a matter a minutes, two Senju marched down the hall and into the interrogation room. Miyuki felt a cold feeling drip down her body as the two men settled on the inside of the room. Yumeko seemed to feel it too, because her hand tightened around Miyuki's.

As unnerved as both girls were, they stayed silent as they watched the interrogation play out.

**XxX**

_I've been a bad boy_, Raiden mused mentally. He tilted his head to the side to listen for anything to hint why he was here. Of course, he knew he was under the Senju's captivity. He could smell it. Another thing he could smell was the girl. He could smell the child's blood. He wondered what she was here for. Why did they want her? He could smell something different about her blood, but he doubted that they could pick on it. But if they did...

Thinking of the possibilities, Raiden's heart sank. She was just a girl, sucked into a war, wanting her mommy. Unlike most of the Uchiha clan, this didn't disgust Raiden. He respected the girl's ability to cry, to beg. Those things weren't allowed in the Uchiha clan. Not at times like these. A strange pull to protect the child tugged at his heart. If he could help her, he would die trying.

That being decided, he stayed calm and still, exploring ways to escape. His hands were tightly bound behind his back; it would take a while to undo without jutsu. His eyes were covered in cloth, making it hard to see, but with his Sharingan, he could sense the chakra signatures. Multiple guards lined up outside the room, along with the girl. What were they going to do with her? The question gnawed at him. He was going to help her. He had to.

The Senju would treat her worse than the Uchiha, and he couldn't allow that.

It felt like hours until the doors finally opened, and two Senju stepped inside. There was nothing but the gentle sounds of movement around the room, and a heavy silence fell on the men. "So, you're an Uchiha," one observed. "Tell us, do they like losing the war?"

Raiden smirked amused by his greeting, but didn't say anything. _We're not the losing side._

A hand connected with his jaw, snapping his head to the side. A wave of pain followed, but Raiden didn't let it bother him. "Answer the question," the second man growled.

Raiden let out a dry laugh. _You'll have to beat it out of me._

A second of silence followed, signaling to both men that he wasn't going to answer, and a hand connect with his gut. Raiden let out a strained grunt. Hearing this, one of the boys smiled.

"If you're not going to answer, we will have to resort to measures even _we_ aren't comfortable with," the first Senju said. Raiden could feel the sick smile on the man's face and the almost taunting tone the man swung around. Raiden's gut twisted. He could only imagine.

Still, Raiden didn't say anything.

"Suit yourself. We'll just have to get you a little…_warming up_," the first man said. This sent a chill down Raiden's spine.

Before the Uchiha knew what was happening, fists slammed into his frame, hitting all of the spots that hurt him the most. Not able to hold them back, Raiden let out screams, and groans of pain. He felt warm liquid drool down his face from a cut on his head. A fist slammed right into the side of his face, harder than the rest, and sent him flying to the ground, hitting his head on the dirty ground. Raiden let out a cough, swirling his tongue around his mouth. He spit out a huge lob of crimson spit, and sucked in a pained breath. A rough hand squeezed his arm and pulled him back up into the chair.

"I think you're pretty _warm_ now," the first man joked, letting out a sinister laugh. "Bring her in."

There was a yell of protest from the outside hallway and Raiden froze. He knew that shout. _No,_ he thought.

The door opened and a scream of rage escaped from the small girl's mouth as a loud thud sounded. The scent of the girl's dried blood slammed into his nose, and he took a deep breath in. It was her, no doubt. Raiden's jaw tensed. A loud groan of irritation shot from the other side of the room. "Leave me alone! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Raiden heard the girl's clothes swish as she climbed to her feet, ready to respond.

A part of Raiden filled with furious determination. It was now up to him to save her. All up to him.

"Shut up!" the second man shouted. A loud slap made Raiden's heart turn to stone and he heard the girl gasp, her breathing shaky. She was scared. And the men who hurt her were going to pay.

_I won't let them have you. I'll protect you. Don't worry, Raiden's here,_ the Uchiha vowed mentally.

Sucking in deep breathes; Raiden calmed himself to think of a way out. He was injured, but as long as he got past the guards the rest should be simple. Rescue and escape. Save the girl, and get the hell out of here.

After a moment, the cloth blindfold was ripped off of him, and he saw the small redhead being restrained by a man with blonde hair. Looking at both of his captures, Raiden snorted. There were little to no differences between them. Both were lean, rough looking men with long blonde hair and deep green eyes. Twins. They even wore the same outfit.

Both men scowled at his lack of reaction. Ignoring his interrogators, Raiden's eyes found Yumeko. Her head was being shoved up against the table, her upper body smashed to the top of it. Her legs twitched with effort to break free. One of the man's hands was deep in her hair, keeping her head down, and an elbow rested on her tail bone, keeping her from escaping.

Raiden's blood boiled. Harming an innocent child because they wanted answers from _him_? It absolutely pissed him off. Riaden scowled at the twins, sending them death glares.

The other twin, who had moved around the room to stand beside his brother, smiled a sinister smile and giggled. "Will you talk now?" he mewed, pulling out a kunai. The kunai glinted in the well lit room, and Raiden's eyes narrowed.

"Talk over some stupid, weak girl?" Raiden scoffed. "You must have me mistaken for someone else."

The man's smile seemed to grow and he shrugged. "Then this just makes it more fun for us."

The girl's eyes widened and she let out a whine. "Don't touch me!"

"Aw, you're a feisty one."

The girl's eyes narrowed, as her mouth curled back in a scowl. "Hands off," she snarled. Raiden watched semi confused about how this was the girl from earlier. How was she the crying girl from the forest?

The one holding her down let out a whooping laugh. "Make us."

Raiden sighed softly, noticing that both boys' attention were on the girl, occupied by her brave front.

Raiden took the waning seconds as a chance to escape and snapped his fingers behind him. A small, blue flame sparked from them, setting the rope on fire. This called the twins' attention back to him and they paled. Standing from the chair, Raiden rippedde arms forward, breaking the bonds, and wiped away blood from his face. The twin who was holding the girl pressed her head more and more into the table until the redhead let out a heart clenching scream of pain. Raiden scowled, and in a flash of a second, had the man in a choke hold. Raiden, in a flash of rage, clenched his hand into a fist and the man's neck snapped.

"Shi!" the other yelled, taking a step forward. Raiden turned, pulling Yumeko iup to a standing position, and stared at the other twin as his face went from sorrow to fury. "_You'll die_!" he growled, throwing himself over the table. Taking advantage of the man's blind rage, Raiden side stepped the side, and elbowed the man in the back as he soared past them. The man thundered into the wall, hit his head and collapsed. Raiden picked up a fallen kunai from the table, and with a flick of his fingers, the kunai soared and impaled itself deep within the other twin's chest. He was dead as well.

Yumeko trembled at the sight in front of her, two powerful men dead in less than two minutes. Yumeko slowly backed away from the man in front of her until his eyes snapped to her. She gasped, and jumped back, afraid she was next. Raiden's cold, killer eyes softened into those of a sweet father, and before she could protest, she was in his arms, flying down the hallway out of the interrogation Senju headquarters.

Yumeko could hear faint shouts of her name from Miyuki, desperate and enraged. Yumeko gulped and stayed silent, still not sure what was to become of her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Okay, so no reviews for the last few chapters. I get that...I think. I don't know if this story is bad, or just isn't getting views. I really would enjoy some sort of feedback. Maybe, "Hey you, your story sucks!" or, "This story is shit! Nice try! Try again!" You know, blunt and something I can work with. Not, "This is shit." More creativity, please._

_Or make my day and priase my work. Either way works for me!_

-Uchiha Undead


	6. Bloody Rewards

**Chapter Five:** _Bloody Rewards_

_Was this how the mission was supposed to go?_ Doubt filled Yumeko. _No, this isn't right._

Yumeko trembled in the man's grasp. She didn't know how much longer she could stand watching him kill people so easily. So…fast, without hesitation. Briefly she wondered if she would ever kill just as easily when she reached his age. Yumeko's heart hardened at the thought. No, she would never allow herself to fall this low. She would never kill innocent people who got in the way…at least not this easily. Yumeko found herself staring at the man's face. It was soft, like a father's, or brothers, and showed determination. Noticing his expression, Yumeko could feel it radiated off of him as he ran away with her securely in his arms.

If Raiden noticed her staring, he didn't say anything. He would throw his leg out and injury someone here and there, while making sure that Yumeko was comfortable, and out of harm's way. He tried to ignore the sore ache on his forehead, and ignore the blood that oozed from his wounds. Anything he let slow himself down would end up killing him, and he couldn't risk that.

When the enemy finally stopped attacking him, Raiden looked around, and sucked in a long stream of air. Besides Senju blood, he could smell moss, and the dense air that surrounded what he hoped was the lake. Its scent was faint, but just enough to make him smile with relief. Sucking in a few deep breaths to calm his frantic heart, he took off towards the lake, going at a more efficient pace.

* * *

They were half way to the lake when Raiden stopped. His chest heaved, and he looked down at Yumeko. "I can only go so far carrying another person, I'm sorry." He paused to clear his throat. "You're going to have to walk." His eyes roamed her body to see if she had any injuries that he couldn't see. "Can you walk?"

The small redhead nodded, and swallowed hard. Her eyes never left the sight of Raiden's face. "You're bleeding really badly," she commented. Yumeko frowned slightly, and instinctively her hands twitched towards her hip, where she would have a pack. But she didn't have her pack with her. "The loss of blood isn't... if you don't take care of those…" Yumeko trailed off, not sure what to say. She was still nervous about being next to him. He was a cold murderer, so why would he save _her_? What compelled him to do such a thing? Yumeko doubted she would have thought twice about leaving him, had their roles been switched. Her eyes narrowed at Raiden.

Raiden, not liking the way the girl was staring at him crossed his arms. "What?"

"You killed all of those people without even thinking about it. You took me too. Why?" Yumeko mimicked Raiden, and crossed her arms, but she didn't look as menacing as he did. She swallowed again.

Raiden raised an eyebrow. "No thank you? I _saved_ you." He squinted, leaned down. His face was inches from Yumeko, and she cringed slightly, unsettled by the look in his eyes. "But really there's a different question. Why did they want you, my little damsel?"

"Excuse me?"

Raiden narrowed his eyes at the girl, looking for something in the girl's eyes. "They took you along with me. Why? You're not an Uchiha, that's easy to see. What _are_ you? What would they need you _for_?" Yumeko thought about fleeing, but she knew that would be a bad idea. She thought about confessing, but her gut screamed at her to lie. Her mind said the same thing; it would keep her alive to lie. Yet, she knew in the back of her mind that she should tell the truth. She ignored the feeling in the back of her mind. Instead, her face turned to stone.

"How should I know?" Yumeko deadpanned.

"What's your clan name?" Raiden spat, glaring at the girl. Who _was_ she? Trembling one second, crying another, then angry for a moment, and then emotionless. This little kid was getting on his nerves.

Yumeko opened her mouth to slap her clan name at him, but she stopped when she couldn't think of anything. When her mind continued to draw blank, her eyebrows smashed together. "I… it's…" Yumeko let out a low sound and couldn't help the creeping sadness in her gut. She couldn't remember. A chill settled over her skin as the depressing fact settled. She _couldn't_ remember.

Seeing her distress, Raiden backed off. He didn't say anything, but frowned. How could she not remember? Taking a few more steps back, he sighed. "Never mind," he dismissed. He looked around for things to discuss, but then found it useless and said, "We need to head to the lake. You can think about it on the way there." He felt his heart soften, and he placed a hand on the child's shoulder. "Don't…don't worry too much about it, okay?"

Yumeko blinked slowly a couple of times, wondering how this could be an Uchiha. One of the most feared, most respected clan, and this clown was a part of it. Yumeko knew she should have felt delighted that he had decided to spare her the questions, but that bothered her. Why was he so naive?

"I won't. Thank you…" she trailed off, looking at him for his name.

"Raiden. Uchiha, Raiden," he said. He raised an eyebrow and looked up and down at the girl. "And yours is?"

Yumeko didn't answer right away. _Should I use my real name or the other one…?_ Nervous about wasting too much time she replied, "My name is Yumeko."

Raiden nodded. "It's nice to meet you Yumeko-chan."

Yumeko's eyes narrowed at the suffix, and she quickly said, "Just call me Yumeko. I don't like the suffix part."

Raiden's lips curled up at Yumeko's blunt distaste for "chan", and he noted that. "Okay. Shall we be off then?"

Yumeko nodded, and waited for Raiden to move, so she could follow. Yumeko didn't like that he was trying to walk with his wounds. So before he could make a few steps, she held out a hand and said, "I don't want you walking with those wounds…"

Raiden shrugged, and assured, "I've had worse, Yumeko. You don't need to worry about me."

"I don't care for you that much, I just want to get where we're going safely," Yumeko bit. She looked away from Raiden's eyes as they hardened, and looked to his wounds. After a moment of her eyes scanning them, she moved forward. She was careful to be slow, and not to get too close. When she was inches from him, she put her hand on the wound on his forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"Shush." Yumeko closed her eyes and softly felt the wound. "Just think of this as a thank you…" she mumbled. Her eyes instantly dropped to the pack on Raiden's hip. "I need a kunai."

"What? No."

Yumeko looked up at him and then repeated, "I need a kunai." She said it slowly, as if she was leaving no argument. Raiden was hesitant, but pulled one out, curious to see what she was planning to do.

What would a little girl do with a kunai?

Once the kunai was firm in her hand, Yumeko held it to her wrist, but before she could cut, Raiden's long, warm hands held hers, separating the kunai and her wrist by a foot. Yumeko swallowed, the contact putting her on edge. He could kill her so easily. Even if he didn't want to, a large cloud of fear hung over her.

"Oh c'mon, just watch," Yumeko muttered, switching the blade around in her hand so it sliced through her sleeve, and dribble of blood bubbled from the scrape. Raiden's grip loosened, and the redhead pulled her hand from his, quick to rub her blood on the wound. She smiled as it started to stitch itself together. "I…I can't remember how it works, but I know it does. Now, may I close that thing up?"

Raiden opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it slowly. There was no need to argue. It worked, but would it work on him. There was no harm. Taking his silence as the go ahead, Yumeko slit her wrist, and dabbed a finger in the blood the dripped from the cut. She applied it carefully to Raiden's wounds, the small and the big ones.

After a while, she asked, "So do you feel better?"

Raiden nodded. By this time, he had let her go so she could close his wounds. "Ya know, you're a strange child. Crying for your mother, who is most likely alive, and then being so brave and handy. You're a little bit of everything, kid."

Yumeko's heart hardened. _She has been dead for years, and nothing I can do can bring her back. I don't even know who killed her._

When the girl's movements stopped, Raiden glanced back at her, afraid he had said something wrong. Yumeko's eyes bubbled with unshed tears. She tried to blink them away, but once Raiden's eyes saw them, they fell like rain down her cheeks.

Clearing her throat she whispered, "My mother is dead. She died…right in front of me." A bitter smile pulled to her lips as she thought of telling him how she had died all those years ago. About how Samara had torn her away from her mother's body, but she didn't. She kept her mouth closed.

Informing others of her misfortune was just rude. It was best to keep it under lock and keep.

Raiden's hand on her shoulder startled her. She flinched back, not sure what to expect. Had she just blown her cover? No. There was sympathy in his eyes. Yumeko frowned. "I don't want you sympathy. It's pointless. She's dead, and there's no changing that."

"You're right about that, but your blood. You blood can help my clan win the war," Raiden commented. Yumeko's blood ran cold.

_No. You wouldn't dare,_ Yumeko thought, looking at him with wild eyes. "You're not going to take me are you?" Yumeko stepped back, but the hand on her shoulder squeezed, keeping her still. He was so dangerous, and the fact of how easily he could kill her made her shiver.

"I want you to join our side," Raiden said. He smiled. "I promise no harm would come to you. You would make a valuable asset in our war against the Senju."

Yumeko shook her head. "I don't want to work for you. I don't want anything to do with you people. Your clan only kills and conquers."

"You have no mother to return to, if your mother is gone, that means your father is as well. Any…" Raiden sighed, weighing his options, and then continued, "any siblings I could return you to?"

Yumeko wanted to say no, but a flash a Miyuki's face made her feel weak. She had Miyuki. But, if she told him that, she would most likely blow her cover. Yumeko's face scrunched up and she shook her head.

Without a second thought she slid Raiden's kunai across her wrist, and felt around her ripped obi. She fished out a small, circular see-through bottle. She held it up to her wrist, ignoring Raiden's faint protests.

Once the bottle filled three-fourths the way up she smeared the droplets of blood on her wrist over her cut. Putting her hand back into her obi she fished around again, this time for a small cork to plug the bottle with. Once she was satisfied with the cork, she tossed it to the Uchiha.

Raiden didn't flinch as he snatched it from the air. "What is this for?"

Yumeko smiled, it was bitter, but it was a smile. "It's for your own good. Use my blood as wisely as you would like."

"We need you," Raiden said.

Yumeko's gut twisted with conflict. Either tell him the truth, or lie. Either die, or live. Save Miyuki, or go live in hell. Yumeko's mind screamed at her to be honest, and not fear death, but the other part of her didn't want to die, not until her mother's killer had been taken care of. "I'm you enemy," she retorted.

Raiden's eyebrows furrowed. "I know we start a lot of problems with other clans, but we-"

"I'm allied with the Senju, and I was the bait for them," I interrupted, glaring at him. "I'm not a helpless child, _Raiden_."

The Uchiha scowled. "This isn't funny." _No, Goddammit no!_ Raiden thought. _You would have helped us. You're just the enemy_. Disgust filled Raiden, and his eyes flared red.

"I'm not laughing," Yumeko deadpanned. She looked straight into his eyes as she said this, unafraid of death. _I'm going to die, and I have to…I have to accept it._ She wanted to cry. Her eyes burned with the longing bliss of releasing the water works, but she held tight, facing the Uchiha with a fearless attitude.

"You're sick," Raiden spat. He kicked the tree next to him. "You're so _sick_."

Yumeko couldn't tell if he was talking about himself or her, either way, his words stung. She had most likely made a useful ally her worst enemy. And, she didn't care.

"I'm…" she wanted to say something, but the look Raiden shot her made the words stop in her throat.

"_You_. Shut up. Shut the _hell_ up, and don't even think about speaking. I will deal with your accordingly, you useless bitch," he snarled. Yumeko made a choking noise, scared with his new attitude. Why didn't he just kill her? Why make her suffer, her wait?

_Because he's an Uchiha,_ she thought, _they only want to torture you. It's fun to them._

There was one thing he refused to do, and it was kill Yumeko. She had…used him. But he had to respect how well she played him. He had to accept how helpful she would still be for the Uchihas. He tried hard to push his rage down, and face Yumeko level minded. He wanted to snap her neck, but he knew he couldn't. He wanted to hurt her for betraying him, for _lying_ to him, yet the fact that she was a still a child held him back. If there was one thing he swore to himself was that he would never murder a child. _She should feel blessed._

In a second, Yumeko was ripped back, and something slammed into the back of her head. Before she knew it, she was falling to the dusty ground, her consciousness fading.

Raiden watched as Yumeko fell in a heap to the forest ground. He felt slight regret seeing her lying there, but he couldn't tell if it was because he hadn't killed her, or because he'd hurt her. Either way, he tore his eyes off of her form, and shot into the trees, sprinting away from her to keep himself from doing anything he'd regret.

* * *

**Author's Note:** _Oh, you guys have no idea how hard it was for me to update! Jeez! I just couldn't write over the lame part. I just had to end it somehow. So, the chapter gets a lame, blunt ending that you will love because of the next chapter. I'm so sorry for all of the missed updates. I hit a road block that I have desided to just run over, no matter the damage._

_I hope this doesn't turn the story off for you. I should update this Friday. Be looking forward to it!_

-Uchiha Undead


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